WASHINGTON – The cherry blossoms were the first to go. Not the pink flowers themselves; they arrived on schedule in mid-March along Washington’s Tidal Basin.
But for Washingtonians, the cherry blossoms are more than a tree. They’re the kickoff to the capital’s prettiest season: yes, clogging downtown streets with tour buses, but also spurring locals to make a predawn detour to the National Mall or providing a good excuse to cut out of work early.
But as the coronavirus began bearing down on the United States, hulking dump trucks and police cars swept into downtown, blocking off the streets around the Tidal Basin and abruptly halting one of Washington’s most cherished traditions.